The last homework assignment of the semester! You are half-way done! Don't forget to cruise over to my other blog www.akers-scs.blogspot.com for lesson plans and a preview of the exams.
I really enjoyed reading your posts on last week's assignment. Good job guys! So far most of you have done an excellent job of keeping up with your assignments and giving your best effort. It's appreciated!
Now here's this week's assignment: Having covered the formative years of the United States (exploration through pre-World War I twentieth century) I would like you to A) nominate and exlain your choice for "Most Important American not named Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln". Looking back through your notes, who stands out to you as having the greatest impact on our nation? Do some research to back up your assertion (and, of course, cite your sources). I would also like you to B) identify an event in US history (the part we've studied) that you would be most interested in participating in, if that were possible. Why does it interest you? How would you have worked to influence its outcome?
Remember, 200 word minimum with at least two responses to the posts of others (responses must total 150 words). There will be no assignment during exam week, so this is the last until January. Make it your best!
interesting blog
ReplyDeleteIt actually isn't that interesting, and by the way, Mr. Akers, why no Booker T. Washington or Jefferson Davis?
ReplyDeleteI think he meant the presidents;)
ReplyDeleteDavis was president of the Confederacy.
ReplyDeleteyou know what I mean...
ReplyDeleteI am nominating Theodore Roosevelt for "Most Important American not named Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln".
ReplyDeleteI think he was the most important president because he was a great, inspirational leader, he got a lot done, and other things. Lets look at some of the things he did.
He:
Earned the nobel peace prize
Earned the medal of honor for service in cuba.
Broke up big, powerful businesses, "trust busting"
Created the panama canal
Helped end the russo-japanese war
Those are not the only important things he did, they just stood out more than others did.
A few other things about him that were interesting to me was that he was a very active, outdoorsey person, he created national parks, and he hunted in africa a lot.
In response to the second question, the event i would have liked to be at would probably be the wright brothers first flight. I have always been interested in flight, and to be at the first modern powered flight would have been awsome. It would also been neat to meet the wright brothers. I don't really think that i would have worked to unfluence their outcome, but i would have encouraged them.
Interesting assingment.
You can’t possibly expect me to pick just one person. There are so many to chose from and they are all important. There are of course the ones that Mr. Akers said we couldn’t use, but that’s just the beginning. There is Columbus(we can’t leave him out, if we did we wouldn’t be here at all let alone amount up to what we are today), Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Lewis and Clark, Harriet Tubman, Gen. Lee and Gen. Grant, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Ford, Orville and Wilbur Wright, Theodore Roosevelt, and, Woodrow Wilson. All of these people did something to benefit, help, or improve America in some way to make it what it is today. To try to pick just one isn’t a fair assignment.
ReplyDeleteBut I will say that the part of history that I would be most interested in participating in would be the mid and late 1800's. I have always loved the west and have often thought that I was born in the wrong time period. My most favorite books are about the west, how it was settled, and the people that lived there. As most of you know, I love horses and don’t always understand people that well. At this point in time there weren’t very many people in the west, in fact there were more cows and horses than there people. On top of that you have wide open space that you can go for miles in and not see a sole.
The Texas War for Independence, the Alamo, and all the way to the taming of this wild and Indian inhabited land that was viewed as a place to escape, start over, and to some it was the most romantic place they had ever heard of (because of the cowboys). I’m not sure if I could have done anything that would have made a difference or not, but then, you never know.
(Even though I would have had to know a lot of Spanish)
My sources were: history class and what I learned while being home schooled.
ReplyDeleteGosh Hannah you're right, finding ONE person in ALL the notes we've taken this semester is no easy task. But nonetheless, I will choose Henry Ford as my Historical All-American (that's my name for this assignment).
ReplyDeleteAs we all know, Henry Ford was the founder of the greatest car company in American history, Ford Motor Company. He started the Ford Motor Company in 1903. He only had 28,000 dollars to his name. That really blows my mind cause today, it is estimated by Forbes magazine that Henry Ford is worth an estimated 188 BILLION DOLLARS. Crazy!
Henry Ford also produced one of the most popular cars of its time (maybe ever) the Model T. Now the Model T wasn't designed to be flashy of fancy, it was designed to be affordable to every American consumer. With a cost of $825 dollars, it was a price most families could afford. And boy did people love this car. The Model T was produced for 19 years (1908-1927) and in its lifetime, over 15 MILLION Model T's were sold! WOW!
Henry Ford is als credited with founding the "assembly line method". This method was much cheaper and more efficient than the traditional method of one person taking forever to make one product when 10 people can make it in fewer time.
The second question is also tough. But if I had to pick one event, I would have to choose "The Age of Industry". I chose this period of history because this is really where America really took off in the right direction in terms of industry. This is where Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller started companies that STILL affect us today. And all these men started out with a dream of success, and ended with TONS of success. Total all of these men are worth over 1 TRILLION dollars. That is quite a bit of money. It truly inspires me to work towards success. This is why its so interesting to me, and I wouldn't change any of it.
A)
ReplyDeleteMy nomination that is within the previously stated, highly restrictive, guidelines is Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR).
The reason I picked him was his excellent leadership during a time of need for America as a nation. He started his term during the Great Depression. He coined the New Deal, and did much of his part to get the country past an economic crisis that potentially could have been our end. This hits close to home now especially because of the condition of our own economy. FDR didn't decide that bailing out companies, OR REFORMING AN ENTIRE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM DURING AN ECONOMIC CRISIS (not going to say any names...) were good ideas. He ran a simple economy, and tried to create new jobs in America.
He then instructed the country through the most wide-scaled war in the history of the world.
FDR died in office serving his country during his unprecedented 4th term in office. He wasn't one of the famous commonly talked about presidents, but he without a doubt made a massive contribution to America as a nation.
B) My favorite time in American History is the Civil War. I have either lived close to, or visited many of the battle sights. I can easily follow the Generals and I understand the issues both sides faced during the war. I'm a huge fan of military strategy and the Civil War illustrates that in one of the most clean cut, simple ways ever. Also, the war-fair wasn't biological or nuclear like it is today. That makes it most more straight forward. I wish we could have covered it even more thoroughly during class.
My only sources were my history notes.
ReplyDeleteXalo, I didn't realize that Teddy Roosevelt had so many accomplishments. He really was a great President, truly a character that the population, and the world around him, could rely upon and look up to for inspiration. He also really helped America today in creating the Panama Canal, opening up tons of trading opportunities today. Truly an amazing President.
ReplyDeleteNice work.
Hannah, I enjoyed reading your essay. The West really is a place where you can just drive for hours and hours and not find a soul or a town or anything! But yeah, so many inspiring stories of starting out from nothing and becoming something have come out of the west. And also like you said the Texas War for Independence and the Battle of the Alamo. Very interesting, and also a good movie. The Alamo.
ReplyDeleteNice job Hannah.
One of the people that I would nominate for the most important American is Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt overcame great obstacles and succeeded for a nation.
ReplyDeleteI would have enjoyed riding with Black Jack Pershing when he was hunting down Pancho Villa. Francisco "Pancho" Villa turned against Mexico's President Venustaini Carranza. He claimed that he was not making good on his reform promises. Poncho was a rascal and loved to promote himself. Hollywood filmmakers loved writing stories about him. He would grant open access to his campaigns. Some said that he actually staged battles for the cameras. Soon Villa was seeking control for himself and using methods to weaken Carranza by stirring up problems with the United States.
After attacking a group of American mining engineers that had come to Santa Ysabel on President Carranza's invitation. General John J Black Jack Pershing was sent to locate Villa dead or alive. Despite several close calls, Villa always managed to escape the larger and better equipped army. Pershing cabled Washington "Villa is everywhere, but Villa is no where."
Tracking down Villa reminds me of hunting for Ben Laddin. Ben Laddin is a much more dangerous opponent.
Info found NW travel Magazine online.
I realize just about everyone has said this already but yes it is very hard to find just on person to choose. I think that Theodore Roosevelt was one of the most important Americans for his time period. He was the best person for the presidency. he was an author, hunter, soldier, explorer, naturalist, and, of course, politician. He was very conservative and did what he hought was right even if congress didn't. He was very big on preserving America and giving the average citizens fair treatment. He di things like trust busting and used the term "square deal" reffering to giving citizens a fair part in his policies. Of course you all now abot the Panama Canal, Russo-Japanese war, Spanish American War, and him winning the nobel peace prize so i wont go into detail about those.
ReplyDeleteA cool place to be in history would be probably around the civil war, being able to hear Abraham Lincolns speeches and truly understanding the devastation of a war within our own country. I probably wouldn't influence the outcome in any way either. I would rather be like a tree or someone not really involved in the war just being able to know how it all happened would be cool.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think one of the most important people in American history was Henry Ford. He was the inventor of the assembly line method. He also started two of the most well-known businesses in American history, the Ford Motor Company and Kingsford charcoal. The Ford Motor Company was started with only $28,000 on June 16, 1903. On October 1, 1908, Ford introduced his Model T to the world, but its assembly took a long time so a few years later he introduced his assembly line method into his factory. That made production for the Model T ten times faster. Kingsford charcoal is a company that not many people realize, but it was started by Henry Ford and his partner E.G. Kingsford. Ford's two companies were very economic because all of the excess wood that came from the Model T production was used to make Kingsford charcoal so in the end there was very little waste between the companies.
ReplyDeleteNow to answer the second I would really liked to have been around during the Civil War era or the Texas War for Independence. I don't think I could have really influenced in any other way than by fighting in either war. Otherwise I would love to have been around either era because they both have always fascinated me and it would be interesting to see what life really was like in those times.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsford_Charcoal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ford
Biggin, I agree that Teddy Roosevelt was also one of America's greatest men. He started the national park system which conserved wildlife and areas that were very important. He also is known for coining the phrase "Speak softly and carry a big stick" which he meant that America needs to keep peace with countries yet have a strong and large military to back it up if it ever needs protection. That and many other reasons is why he is one of America's most well-known and respected presidents. Otherwise, you had a really good essay, Biggin. Good Job.
ReplyDeleteJAnderson, I think Franklin D. Roosevelt was an excellent person to choose because he led America through one of the toughest times in American history, the Great Depression. It was an oustanding feet for just one man to deal with and that is why he was well respected. Good essay, Jake. Good Job.
ReplyDeleteBenjamin Franklin was the 15th child in a blended family. His stepbrothers and stepsisters, along with his real brothers and sisters, made up a family of 19, including his parents. He s[sent his days in the shipyards as a child, and eventually wrote poor Richards almanac, and the Silence Do-good letters. After learning the printing trade from his brother Franklin began writing articles for the newspaper, anonymously. Benjamin Franklin wrote the articles under a false name, or nom de plume, which was silence do-good, because the New England Courant often found displeasure in the material. Franklin's brother James was even arrested and imprisoned for a month after publishing one article which was extremely offensive Franklin later moved to Philadelphia over a dispute with his brother James. Franklin also invented fire insurance, daylight savings time, bifocals, the catheter, the lightning rod and the odometer. These inventions are all still important today.
ReplyDeleteFor part B I chose the election of 1912 because I really couldn’t seem to find a whole lot else that drew my attention and that I would be interested at all in. it interests me because of the approximated one million new votes from womens suffrage and how that would affect the campaigns for the presidency.
sources national treasure (yes i am citing a movie that i am watching right now, but i also fact checked with associated content.com)
A) I wouldn't say mt choice is the “most” important American, but he sure did change the way America worked and communicated.
ReplyDeleteAlexander Graham Bell was born in Scotland in 1847. His mother was deaf and his father taught the deaf how to speak. He only went to school for 5 years, from age 10-14, but never stopped learning. In 1876, at the young age of 29, he invented the telephone and a year later founded the Bell Telephone Company. While best known for the telephone, he also invented many other things like an iron lung, wax records, and a hydrofoil.
So as we all know, the telephone was a huge invention and technological advance in not just America, but all around the world. Telephones are used every single day by almost everyone. They have just become a part of our lives and we really don't know a life without them. Also, from the telephone came the even more amazing and popular cell phone. Obviously a very important item in today's culture and one no teenager can live without. So telephones were and still are a very large advancement in communication in the world. Alexander Graham Bell was definitely a huge impact on the world.
B) I, along with a few others I'm sure, would have loved to have been at Kitty Hawk, NC, on December 17, 1903 when the Wright Brothers made the first flight for 12 seconds at 120 feet. I am sure it was an jaw dropping sight to actually see something flying in the air. Of course today that is common, but 100 years ago I am sure it wasn't quite. I would have been right their cheering them on and encouraging them to keep going.
I had a very hard time choosing the "most" important American in history (not named Washington, Lincoln, or Jefferson), and I am not sure if he was the most important or influential, but he definitely was up there. I am choosing Alexander Hamilton. He was extremely influential on early America, especially on financial aspects and economics. He was the first and perhaps greatest Secretary of Treasury to a President. He was a Federalist and nationalist and believed in a strong central government. During his life he was a political theorist, military officer, financier and lawyer. He also was a Founding Father and wrote like half of the Federalist Papers. I think he was a very influential American.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if there is a part of history that we have studied that I would really want to be involved in that much. A couple of people said the Wright Brothers first flight, and I think that would have been pretty cool, but still I like the time that I live in today. I might choose the Great Awakening. That would have been pretty cool. I don't know if there really is an event back then in American history that I would really have liked to have experienced.
1)The historical person that i chose for "the most important america" is henry ford.I think that he is mostley important for creating the assembly line method.It was a cheaper and much more efficient way to pice things together.beacouse instead of haveing one person take a long time to do it all themselves they took ten peaple and got the job done in a fraction of the time.
ReplyDeleteHenry ford is also important for what everyone knows him for and that is founding the ford motor company in 1903.also known for mass producing the first affordable motor vehicle the model t.there were millions upon millions of these cars produced from (1908-1927).And ford as we all know is still aroud as one of the most succsesfull car companies of all time.
2)the time in history that i would have liked to have seen/be apart of would be the civil war.beacouse wars and battles are the most interesting part about history.and i just think that it would have been interesting to have seen what there battle stratagies were like.and to have seen all of the weaponry in action.
a) i chose Ben Franklin as a person who was of great importance to the united states history. when researching i decided to choose someone from ealry American history because of the signifigance our ealry history plays in things that came after. after all without our beginning there would be no America. the reason i chose Ben franklin was (1) his descoveries and wise sayings, we still read Ben franklins work and view it as insperational and educational, his experiments that led to the modernization of much of our world today, for instance electricity. (2) his foreign affairs are one major reason for the victory in the war for independance from England. he worked with our allies france to secure troops and ships to aid our struggle, we learned in history about the signifigance of the french at the battle of yorktown.
ReplyDeleteb)as far as events go, i would have loved to have been at the signing of the declaration of independence and participated in the establishment of a faint hope that turned into our great nation.
caleb i really enjoyed reading your essay, i think your point about henry ford is great, we have to see the big picture andhow the assembly line effected not just our history but the worlds, it totally changed the world economy and was world altering. he changed the way we do business and the way we send and package things.
ReplyDeletei think your point about wars being the pivitol and important part of history has a lot of basis and is thought provoking.
i really enjoyed your essay
colby your essay was awesome, i think youve definately found a man worth noting. the invention of the telephone completely changed our way of life. now today we can call or text or email and everything inbetween from our mobile phone, im sure mr bell never quite expected a phone world to develope quite like ours, some people could not survive without their phone, but we all know thats not true. overall i think you point out an awesome point and person.
ReplyDeleteabout your second point, being at kitty hawk north carolina would have been one of the most fasinating and exciting things in history. it was a knew invetion that actually worked and sustained flight, and now in our day we are a air mobile world that depends on air travel in our speeding global economy and travel. your essay was very well done and thought out. Great job
sources:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_franklin
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that I would pick Taft because I think that he would have had the hardest and most difficult time having to follow up after Roosevelt. Seeing as how so many people thought of him as highly as they did. As you look at Taft and how unbelievably qualified he was it is amazing. Taft was so awesome for this reason he did so many things in his lifetime sometimes more than someone would accomplish in two. I like Taft just hearing about his personality and often distasteful look at when he was president. He enjoyed his jobs from what I can see and he was the only man to go on to be a Supreme Court judge after serving as president he was a judge until a month before his death he was a man I admire and I think it would be unbelievably hurtful and terrible to have the man that wanted you to be president to all of a sudden say hey I don't like what you’re doing so I’m going to run against you. That is who I think was a great President just because of how hard it would be to follow up after one of the peoples most loved presidents at that time.
ReplyDeleteI think the invention that I would like to be there for the most would be the first computer and the way I would influence this would be buying the computer that Bill Gates bought.
I used these two references
ReplyDeletehttp://americanhistory.about.com/od/williamhowardtaft/p/ptaft.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/when-was-the-first-computer-made.html
Reference: Wikipedia
ReplyDelete1) My choice for the most influential president other than Washington, etc. would have to be Woodrow Wilson (as far as we’ve got in U.S. History) … For one thing look at all he accomplished in his first term. All that he set out to do he did, he lowered tariffs, he passed the Federal Reserve Act, and even made up the income tax that he said was the only fair tax to both the poor and the wealthy.
Another thing that I like about Wilson is that he had “clean politics”. No scandals came to light during either of his terms. The only downside is that in his second term (which he is remembered for) the First World War happened and he didn’t want top be remembered as a war president. But unlike the other presidents that were very involved in the wars during there terms Woodrow Wilson took the back seat and left it mainly in the hands of the U.S. Army...
Lastly, I like Wilson because he is known as the “First Modern President”. And when you think about it it’s true… He was the first to have income tax, the first to say that we shouldn’t base our money on gold or silver but simply a paper standard ( good or bad, varies on opinion), and he also created the Federal Reserve which was a nonexistent part in creating and protecting our currency on the part of the government…
2) If I had to choose one era/year to go back in time and live in I would choose 1912… Because they had started to “modernize” the way they dealt with things and the quality of live was starting to get better. If I could do anything to influence this time period I would work for a food and drug sanitation system. The FDA was founded much later and I think that if it had been founded sooner then maybe it would have an effect on how we live our lives today and what’ in our food… Maybe they wouldn’t put as many hormones in the food because the research would have gotten farther and the advancements in medicine would be much greater. So that’s what I would do…
The person I pick is George Washington...
ReplyDeletePresident Washington started to as a commander in the American Revolutionary War. The simple job of commanding a n Army to free us from England. Then was elected as the first president of the United States. He was a great leader of the country so great he is called the Father of our Country. He was a major impact in the American Revolution by leading his troops to many victories and helping us to get our freedom. I choose Washington because of his fearless leadership and great leader ship skills as a commander and a president.
The event i choose is The Civil War...
I choose the Civil War because i think it would have been hard on many people due to the fact some had friends on the other side...Imagine shooting your best friend just so your side would win...i know i couldn’t have don it. This event is also very significant because it lead to the freeing of the blacks and giving them all freedoms whites had....This would have been a very hard time in US history and i commend all people apart of this war.
I got my info from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_washington
I think the most important and most influential person to our nation besides Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln would be James Madison. James Madison was the main author of the constitution including our bill of rights, the document on which our nation is based. The system of a three branched federal government was also his plan. He realized that to maintain a functioning government which allowed the most freedom possible, our government needed checks and balances. Madison along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers, the influential papers that persuaded many people to ratify the constitution. He also founded the Republican Party. This is why I believe he is the most important and most influential American to our nation’s development.
ReplyDeleteIf there was one event in U.S. history that I could participate in, it would be around the revolutionary war when we declared our independence and some time later when it was seen that the articles of confederation were not sufficient and the constitution was being written. The War for Independence and the writing of the constitution were probably the two most important parts of our nation’s development and history. I would want to have been one of the founders during this time if I could pick any time to be in.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant
ReplyDeleteIts hard to choose just one man to be the “most important american.” it seems like there could be more than 50 great americans. its so hard to choose just one. one of the most important americans that comes to my mind is Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was born on April 27,1822. he died on July 23, 1885. while grant was alive, he played a huge role in the military and the civil war. after the civil war he became the 18th president. grant was a union general during the civil war. general lee surrendered to him after long battles and much death. Without grant, there is no telling where our nation would be at today. during his presidency, his administration was plaqued with scandal from the lack of accountability on his cabinet members. several of the scandals were: Black Friday, Credit Mobilier, Salary Grab, Sanborn Contracts and many more. though his cabinet was filled with scandals, he was still a good president. Grant had high expectations for most of his members and checked their character and whether or not they would take a bribe. that speaks a lot in itself. Grant may not have been the best American, but he was a pretty good one. as for the most important event, I think I would like to be in the battle at the Alamo. that was a great point during the war for independence.
ReplyDeleteA)A) I literally spent 20 minutes trying to decide who I thought was most influential on our country(besides those presidents). I think it was because there were so many to choose from. I think I’m going to go with Ulysses S. Grant. I thought he would be a good one to choose for a number of reasons. First of all, he was appointed by Lincoln to be a brigadier general, and led a number of victories for the North during the civil war. Also, he was very gracious to the South when the war was over, being so willing to help reconstruct the South that was in shambles and receive those states back, which was what was the key factor into rejoining our country. He also was the one who held the nation together after Lincoln was assasinated, and maintained Lincoln’s principles. Without this guy, what would have become of our nation?
ReplyDeleteB)B) Haha, this is a fun question to answer. I know a lot of people so far have picked the Civil War, but honestly that’s the one I would want to be involved in. I used to read this historical fiction series about young people who lived during the Civil War and I enjoyed them immensely. Now obviously, there would be some downsides to being a young woman during that time, such as the possibility of losing a loved one or having your best friend be for the South when your family is for the North. However, I find it very noble of those women who spent their time being nurses for the wounded troops, and helping out in any way they could. They had very giving hearts, and I think that’s amazing. I also would especially like to wear those big hoop skirt dresses they wore then, and wear my hair in ringlets, haha.
robbie, madison was a good man to choose. he did a great feat for this country since he helped set up the constitution and the govt. the federalist papers played a huge role in the ratifacation of our constitution and is good that he participated. the revolutionary war is also a huge event in our nation. its hard to choose something thats not war related
ReplyDeletei didnt mean to type the a and b twice, obviously. and i only had one source other than my notes, and that was wikipedia for information to help answer the first question. :)
ReplyDeletecaleb, without henry ford, where would we be at today? without his creation of the assembly line and the cheap model t, we may have been set back quite a bit. and the fact that he produced the SAME EXACT CAR for several years with NO change and nobody thot it was a big deal. nowadays, if the body or interior doesnt change every other year or so absolutely eeveryone throws a fit!~!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhoa tough assignment! Its impossible to find just one single person that had the most impact on this nation. No one person stands out to me but instead many...
ReplyDeleteA.) Well although he didnt have the most impact on this nation Theodore Roosevelt definitely had quite an impact. And he is definitely one of my favorite presidents. Roosevelt not only had a big impact as president either he influenced people greatly president or not.
Theodore Roosevelt stands out to me for many reasons. Roosevelt had a great personallity. He was a very persistent influential man. When he wanted to get something done then he didnt fool around he took control a got it done. He was a strong, active, outdoors type of person. And spent a good deal of time hunting and adventuring. ( If Adventuring is a word.) He seemed to be a quite honost person as far as i can tell. He wasnt afraid to say what he thought. Theodore was also intimidating and often used that to get what he wanted. He was also a fair man.
Theodore Roosevelt was played many important roles in American politics, public and national defence, and society. Roosevelt was a Govornor of New York, a deputy sheriff, a police commissioner, assistant secretary of the Navy, colonel of the Rough Riders, vice prisident, and 26th president of the U.S. Roosevelt was also the founder of the National Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA), he ranched in the west, raised six children, and hunted on several continents.
During his time as president Roosevelt accomplished a lot. He trust busted (brought big business under control). He brought order and fair dealings to U.S. industry and commerce. Roosevelt established the Dept. of commerce and labor. He was also very into the conservation of nature and preserved 150 national forests. Roosevelt was also very involved in foreign affairs. He negotiated many deals with foreign countries. He go the panama canal project going. He negotiated an end to the Russo/Jappenese war and as a result won the Nobel peace prize. He also made the U.S. a world power with his "big stick" policy.
B.) Now for the time in history that i would like to participate in... I would have to say my favorite period of history that we have studied is the mid or late 1800's. I think that it's so cool everyone moving west, indians, huge ranches, lots of horses an cattle, few people, and wide open land in which you could ride for days even weeks without seeing a single person. I know of course it certainly was not easy but it still be an awesome experience.
Michael Pope, I think it’s very interesting that you choose Ben Franklin, and that you would have wanted to be involved in signing the Declaration of Independence. I agree with you on that, it would have been pretty cool to be a part of what got our nation started. It’s pretty incredible, really, what our forefathers came up with. And to base it on some biblical principles was definitely a positive contribution to it. We’ve got to stick to those, dude. And yeah, we do still read some of Benjamin Franklin’s sayings- I remember reading some of those in English-I liked some of them a lot, they really make you think. I’m pretty thankful for electricity, too-it’s pretty handy. Its also interesting to know that his foreign affairs were a big part of why we won the war of independence against England. Ben Franklin was a good choice, nice job.
ReplyDeleteMy sources :
ReplyDeleteHistory notes and
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biotr.htm
Morgan, I would like to compliment you on your essay. I enjoyed reading it, and I think you were very efficient in your information about Theodore Roosevelt, you didn’t want to leave anything out. I don’t know that I have a favorite president, per-say, but I guess I do think more highly of some than others. I remember studying in class that Roosevelt’s personality was what won over a lot of Americans and that he was very active and outdoorsy. That video we watched in class that one day was pretty funny, I thought, when it talked about the fact that he knew he was intimidated so he used that to get his way. When we had been studying Theodore Roosevelt just recently all that stuck out to me were the negative aspects-how he needed a third term, how he used whatever he could to get people to vote for him-so it was good to read from a positive perspective. Good job. ☺
ReplyDeleteI believe one of the most important people in American history is, the fourth president of The United States, James Madison. He is one of the founding fathers of America, considered the “Father of the Constitution”, first president to serve in the United States Congress (also the leader), and he was the father of the Bill of Rights. He worked closely with George Washington to help setup a new federal government, since he was the leader os the house of representatives. He organised the Democratic-Republican part. He secretly co-authered the Kentucky ad Virgina Resolutions in 1798, and he also supervised the Lousianna Purchase. And he also led the nation into the war of 1812, being the president. But as president he reversed many of his positions.
ReplyDeleteA historical event would have to be the discovery of America. Could you imagine the excitement of everyone that was there that day? And you would have been apart of something new, and to know that nation would someday be the most-powerfull nation of all time. I believe the downside would have been that no one really had any idea about what they were doing they just were hoping they got lucky.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_madison
ReplyDeleteBen Franklin
ReplyDeleteI think Ben Franklin was the most important American besides the men that Akers mentioned. He was just an incredible founding father, scientist, inventor, intellectual mind, and many other things. Those are the reasons he was arguably the most famous man of his day. Franklin’s ideas and sayings still affect us today. It is his inventive spirit and curiosity that amazes me the most.
Ben Franklin created many things, including bifocals. He had poor vision and needed glasses to read. So, he tried to come up with a way for his glasses to let him see both near and far. He ended up cutting two pairs of spectacles in half and making a single frame out of half of each lens. It sounds simple, but that’s pretty monumental of a discovery. Obviously, he invented many other things, such as the lightning rod. He also had many famous quotes using wit and humor that we sometimes think about today still. An example would be, “time is money.”
http://library.thinkquest.org/22254/frquot.htm
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/inventor/inventor.html
I think somebody already said this, but I would like to be at Kitty Hawk when the Wright Brothers flew. That would be cool because there was such wonder and doubt concerning the thought of flying back then.
Ben, I agree with you it would have been awesome if Henry Clay could have been president since he is from Kentucky. And it would have been interesting to hear what all the founding fathers had to say, and what ideas they came up with besides what is in the constitution today.
ReplyDeleteCody, I also agree with you Teddy Roosevelt was a great president, and he did so many different things that no other presidents have done. He did whatever needed to be done for the nation to be better, even if the congress did not agree like you said. The civil war would have also been a awesome place to be, and I have no idea how I would affected the outcome. And I really do not believe I would have changed to many of the events that have happened.
James Madison:
ReplyDeleteWe’ve all heard the name; he’s famous for being “The Father of the Constitution” and our fourth president, but he’s done so much more than that.
James Madison was born in 1751 and raised in Orange County Virginia. At the age of sixteen he began to study under Reverend Thomas Martin, and later enrolled in Princeton University (which was called the College of New Jersey) to study in history, government, and law. In 1776, he was elected to the Virginia Convention of 1776, where he spoke loudly about freedoms of religion being rights, not just privileges. He participated in the Virginia House of Delegates, but lost the election in 1777 because he would not allow liquor to voters. Regardless, that same year he served on the Council-of-State. Later in 1779 he was nominated to the Philadelphia Continental Congress. He also served in Congress from1780-1783, engineered compromises on taxation and imports, and worked hard to ensure religious freedom for American citizens.
James Madison, along with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, wrote the Federalists Papers. Later, he aided in the ratification of the Constitution, by encouraging the state of Virginia to become the tenth state to ratify the “backbone of American government.”
I chose James Madison, because of his incredible contributions to the formation of our government. The composing of our Constitution was set before our founding fathers as a momentous task, and with James Madison’s influence and input, well we don’t really know where we’d be today.
As for a favorite U.S. History event:
I can’t remember how in depth we went into it, but I would I have loved to have been a part of the Constitutional Conventions. To be in the presence of those men creating and debating over our Constitution, honestly, I can’t imagine it. I would have definitely enjoyed that. (Regardless of the weather/physical conditions =P)
For my sources:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.virginia.edu/pjm/biography1.htm
James Madison and the struggle for the Bill of Rights By Richard E. Labunski
I would first like to say that this assignment is probably the most interesting one in a long time. You did a good job picking this one Mr. Akers.
ReplyDeleteNow, on to the question at hand. Who is the most influential and important American. The first person that comes to mind is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Mr. Roosevelt is probably one of the first people that comes to mind when thinking of the great American presidents. He got the United States out of one of the worst disasters in History the Great Depression. Not only that but he served four terms. (Really two is enough). He also took our country through World War II. Now if that doesn't qualify you to be a great American I don't Know what does. Franklin Roosevelt was also the father of six kids. A feat that by today’s standard is a great accomplishment.
The second question is another difficult one. I would have to say that I would want to go back to the founding of America. This would give me a chance to meet some of the greatest minds in history. I also think that it would be cool to be able to see how much the world has changed. It would also be cool to find out what people back then thought the future would be like.
I did not use any outside sources.
Madyson, you seem to really like James Madison. You did a good job on your essay and seem to have put a lot of thought into it. I would just like to say keep up the good work and I hope that your arm heals quickly.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to decide on a president for this assignment. I choose the president who sticks out from the rest. He challenged America to do what no one thought possible. I choose John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is best known for inspiring the race to the moon. Even though he did not live to see it; we still did it. What other president would tell America to get up and go to the moon. When Kennedy gave this speech we had no idea or the technology to do this. The shock was the equivalent if Obama said we are going to put a man on Saturn in toddy’s context. Now no man could survive on Saturn due to the harsh conditions on Saturn but the point still remains. For my event I choose the moon landing. The moon landing proved America’s dominance in technology and broke all bounds of what we can do. The moon landing put another goal still in front of us, Mars. If we can develop the technology to go to the moon why can’t we not go to Mars? NASA is currently working on returning to the moon and after that then Mars. John F. Kennedy didn’t just inspire a nation, he inspired a new modern era.
ReplyDeleteI would like to add that in my choosing of the person to do the assignment on I did not take into consideration the personal life of FDR.
ReplyDeleteMy nomination for the most important American during this era would go to Theodore Roosevelt. One reason is because he fought in the Spanish- American War, where he became a war hero and the leader of the Rough Riders. He played a very important part in conquering San Juan Hill, one of the most important battles in the Spanish- American War.
ReplyDeleteAfter leading us to victory in the war, Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States. While in office, he started the Progressive moment, which was a period of reform in America from the 1880s to the 1920s. Sparked by industrialization, the Progressive movement included economic, political, social, and moral reforms. While all areas of reform were important, the main goal was to purify politics. Another reason why Theodore Roosevelt deserves this nomination is because he stood up to big businesses, and was very well known for being a trust buster.
If I could be a part of any event in U.S. history that we’ve studied, it would be World War II. I would choose this because it was such a huge part of history. And I would take pride in knowing that I was a part of that.
A.)
ReplyDeleteJames Monroe assumed the office as one of the most qualified men ever. His resume included Revolutionary War Veteran, delegate at the Continental Congress and the U.S. Senate, Governor of Virginia, numerous diplomatic posts, and two cabinet appointments. He was voted into Presidency in a major transition period in American history: that of moving away from European affairs and moving on to domestic ones.
One thing that is very rarely known about James Monroe is his importance in keeping the U.S together during the Missouri Compromise. The negotiations that were made leading up to the Compromise could have had some serious repercussions, had Monroe not made some behind-the-scenes maneuvers which helped our nation avoid sectional division.
As far as forign affairs go, where do I begin? He, in my oppinion, has had the most profound influence on America's foreign affair policies. His administration had a number of successes in this area, including the purchase of Florida, boundary settlements with Britain, and the all-famous creation of the Monroe Doctrine.
Unfortunately, Monroe suffers in comparison to the other members of the Virginia Dynasty such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. Granted, he did not bring about the overwhelming change and renaissance to our nation that these men did, but he was an excellent thinker and had the ability to look at issues from all sides. I respect him because he reached out to all the regions of the country and also dealt well with neighboring countries. He put the nation on an independent course, no longer tied to European policy. Although the nation would have to wait until Andrew Jackson to see a significant increase in presidential power over domestic affairs, Monroe's aggressive nature undoubtedly strengthened the presidency itself.
B.)
If I had to chose an event top be a part of, I'd chose supreme court case Marbury v. Madison. I would love to have been one of the justices during this case-- knowing all I know now about its impact and all, of course. The supreme court wouldn't even exist-- well, wouldn't do anything-- if it wasn't for this case. The thing that I don't get is how they took this case which was about Jefferson and Federalists and made the decision completely about the powers of the judicial system. Implied powers were created and that's what are judicial system revolves around now'a'days.
It was hard to choose just one person but I am going with John Adams. John Adams was one of our Founding Fathers. He was George Washington's vice president for two terms and then became our second president - serving only one term. He played a big role in the forming of the Declaration of Independence. And where would we be without that? He played a leading role in getting our Congress to adopt the Declaration. I am thankful that those individuals that came to the New World for religious freedom finally got what they were after - freedom to worship God. John Adams was a very important person to make this happen.
ReplyDeleteIf I could go back in time and live another life I would choose 1912. It was a time when the Republican party split. Taft decided to stay with the original Republican party. Roosevelt decided to go off on his own and make his own party known as "The Bull Moose" or the progressive party. Wilson stayed with the Democratic party. I thought it was interesting that the Democrats - who are usually more liberal - didn't want anything to do with women's suffrage. Instead the Republicans were for this cause. I would have liked being a part of that time in history when women's suffrage was going. I also found interesting the cartoon Mr. Akers showed us with these three candidates on a stage with women in the crowd. Wilson was against women's suffrage but the cartoon showed him holding out his hand toward the women as if to say that he needed their vote but he was turned away and not looking at them - because they were women. A very interesting time in history.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/adams_j.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams
Josh ~ I thought you did a good job on your essay about Benjamin Franklin. He was a really great inventor and scientist. Discovering electricity was one of the greatest things that he did. I'm glad he was flying a kite that day. :) I couldn't imagine living without electricity. The other night the power went out during a storm and we were in darkness. I just went to bed. There was nothing to do. :) I agree that Benjamin Frankling was a great leader.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many different people for " The Most Important American not named Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln," to choose from, but I think when it comes down to one person, I think that it would have to be Theodore Roosevelt. Theodore Roosevelt was such a good and inspiring person, he accomplished a lot, and was famous for quite a bit, like, building the panama canal, earning a nobel peace prize, "trust busting ", and winning a medal of honor for serving in Cuba. He was more of an outside kind of person, he created national parks, and he sometimes liked to hunt in Africa. He was a very interesting person, and enjoyed learning about him. If i had to choose one thing to i guess go more in depth with, it would probably be Wilber and Wright. Learning about the first flights could be pretty fun. Its amazing how it first started in nineteen o three, and then in nineteen fourteen, just eleven years later, the air planes were already being used in war fare. Its amazing how fast air planes developed! Especially the turret on the air plane, it was timed to be able to actually shoot through the propeller!
ReplyDeleteIt’s almost funny, the first three men on the “Top 100” list that I used were George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson (Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth both made this list). Despite the multiple amount of great men and women who we consider great, I have chosen one women who represents an entire group. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Though she didn’t fight in a great war or serve as a world changing president, she set the stage for one of the greatest wars America has ever seen. The reason I say she represents a group is because she was a catalyst for a great event. Often times we overlook the reasons or causes of the great events of our history. I believe that the people who are a driving force in these happenings are influential, because if we didn’t have the starter, we wouldn’t have those who take part in them. So even though Harriet Beecher Stowe may not be a prominent participant in history, she helped start the Civil War in her own way. That makes her very important. (http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200612/influentials)
ReplyDeleteIf I had to take part in any point in history it would probably be the mid-late 1800’s and early 1900’s. During this time, America was going through such a drastic change. To take part in the mass development of such a great nation would be so fulfilling as a citizen of that country. Even now though, I think we are taking part in such a time. Our generation changes so rapidly, who knows where we will be in 35 years? We have the opportunity to take part in such a great time of change and time of new thinking. So even though I would like to take part in this historical time period of innovation, I don’t want to lose sight of the fantastic time we live in today, a time of limitless opportunity and self-determination. (I didn’t use an outside source for this part)
Like everyone before me said, choosing just one person as the most important person is impossible. I believe everything in the world at that time shaped America. Just like in Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder" or in Ashton Kutcher's movie Butterfly Effect (which got its name from Bradbury's short story) I think if one thing were changed our lives would be different. I think that everyone held the same amount of importance. Now someone I think of as cool would be Thomas Edison. Edison is considered among the most prolific inventors of all time. Prolific is defined as Producing abundant works or results, and this was true of Edison. He has 1,093 patents to his name, in the U.S. alone! He invented the microphone first used with all of the Bell recievers, the first marketable fluoroscope (the device that creates pictures with an x-ray), and of course the electric light bulb. I think the "Wizard of Menlo Park" was one of the most interesting influences on American History.
ReplyDeleteI think if I had to choose a time to be in I would choose A)during Western Expansion or B)Right After the Gilded Age. In the West I would try my best to make a name for myself; most likely, I would've traveled for gold. Right after the Gilded Age we went into the Progressive Era. The Progressive Era ended a lot of the misconduct of big business and ushered in change to America. After all during this time there were four new constitutional amendments and the way was paved for America to enter in to a stage of Imperialism, which affects us greatly today. In the second era I chose I would have probably done my best to change the abuses of trusts. Unless I was a leader or born into a family that owned one, then my goal would be to keep restrictions off trusts, probably. To be honest, I'm not really sure what I would do in those eras. It all would all depend on where I was socioeconomically.
Anna, you picked Grant for good reason. When we pick these individuals you have to look at their whole lives because they are all so great. Grant was not just a good general or just a good president, but he was both. Even though he did have his faults, who doesn’t? It makes me so proud to say that we have to think about what person we are going to pick because there are so many of them. So many individuals have taken part in our nation’s history that are just amazing to study and realize how great they were.
ReplyDeleteJames Monroe is an American who is over qualified to be the top American. He set clear standards on U.S. Hegemony of the Americas by telling Europe any act of colonization would be seen as an act of war and that the U.S. would respond with action. Monroe also toured the country meeting friends and enemies alike and gained support though these tours around the states. In all he went on three tours: one in New England, another in the mid-west, and the last in the “far west”. He became familiar with his people and the people became familiar with him, and since the federalists had recently split there was no real bi-partisan movement with Monroe’s party dominating the political scene this lead to what a Boston news paper coined as “The Era of Good Feelings” a time with little conflicting political opinion and widespread support of the president. Monroe went through the presidential ringer when faced with the Panic of 1819, a time when the banks failed and mortgages were foreclosed forcing tons of people out of their homes. Monroe did what he could which wasn’t much since the U.S. Bank and the states controlled the economy, Monroe made a wise statement. He said that our economy will occasionally fall into a recession, but it will soon bounce back. And sure enough Monroe was right the economy bounced back in just a few short years. So this is why I believe James Monroe to be deserving of the Greatest American award!! My first essay was much better but it got deleted x_x.
ReplyDeleteNow for the event I wish I could have been at in history (Besides being in Die Hard 1) would have to be the inauguration of James Monroe. It was outside on a beautiful March 5th. I bet would have been great.
Jarred I must say out of all the people you could have picked you chose the guy I did. I could have seen this coming seeing as how he is the greatest American after all but next time why don't have a conference call about it.
ReplyDeleteJustin you never fail to just not read the directions I honestly saw this coming, give me a second to see if ANYONE else did the same thing..... hi-five Justin you were the only one. Anyway... David your essay on Edison was great, I had no idea that Edison invented a fluroscope.
ReplyDeleteEmily i think it was cool that you picked Harriet Beacher Stowe. Everybody picked a prisident or someone that really stands out in history. But you're right if we didn't have those behind the scenes people we wouldn't have those great people who famously took part in the great events of history. Stowe was a truly important character in our history. So great job and great thought on that essay.
ReplyDeleteMadyson good job on your essay. James Madison truly did play a huge part in the founding of this country. Haha and of course you would choose a time in history where a lot of debating and arguements took place. Good job. Lol and i think someone missed you while you were gone... Cough cough camden. Haha!
ReplyDeleteHannah i agree with you its impossible to pick just one person. Many played a great role in the history of our nation. I also agree that the unsettled west would be really cool to experience. Even if it was pretty tough and dangerous it would definitely be an adventure with the people moving west, indians, huge ranches, wide open country with nobody for miles and miles, and everything else. Definitely my favorite period in history.
ReplyDeleteDavid, you made a great point in your essay. If one single factor were to be changed in American history, the whole outcome would be affected. That’s why picking “the most important” is so difficult. Everything that has happened has been the result of a previous happening. It’s all so interconnected that taking one single event out history would totally impact the future. Good job pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteReally Anna? A hoop skirt? Haha, I’d love to see that. I did like the way that you depicted the women of that time though. You are right, but I don’t think that I would have liked it much. Yes the hoop skirts would have been fun but I would have been wearing pants before long, I hate skirts because you can’t hardly do anything in them. I also couldn’t stand the thought of even one of my friends being on a different side than me. That would probably be the hardest thing for me besides having loved ones die. And I don’t think that I could have been a nurse either. I don’t really like being around people that are that sick. So after all that, I probably wouldn’t have been much help to any one back then.
ReplyDeleteBack to the hoop skirt thing, no affiance but you would look piety funny. In fact I think we all would.
Michael, signing the Declaration of Independence would have been interesting. To know that you were part of the thing that changed America would really be something. Not only that but the fact that people hundreds of years later would still be learning about you and what you did to help shape the country that they love and even die for would be well worth the time and effort that was put into it. Not to mention the satisfaction that you would feel. I’m sure that all the people that signed the Declaration that day had no clue just how big of a thing they were getting their selves into. I do know one thing though, I wouldn’t have had the patience to wight it.
ReplyDeleteAnd Justin, good job:)
The man I nominate as “The Most Important American Not Named Washington, Jefferson, or Linoln”, would have to be none other than Henry Ford. From his innovative practices, including the development of the assembly line system, to the production of such assembly lines, such as the Model T, Henry Ford has undoubtedly impacted the American cultural landscape in profound, immense ways. These impacts have been beneficial and damaging, yet all of them are deeply epic in scale. The automobile saves and destroys countless lives every year. A car accident may take a life, but the ambulance that races to the scene may save another. Walk outside anywhere in America and you will see what this man, Henry Ford, has given us, or done to us, depending on your opinion. We can make it across the country in a day, all the while polluting our atmosphere. Henry Ford changed our world, and whether it was for the better or the worse, he is without a doubt one of the most important Americans in History.
ReplyDeleteSo far as the event I would be most interested in participating in, that would have to be the first flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. This event, and these men, (who are competitors with Mr. Ford for the Title above, in my opinion) changed the world on this day, in ways they would never imagine. This flight would have been a glorious thing to witness, both in the sense of historical awe and in the sense of foreboding. There are two sides to every story, as we know. If I were there, with the knowledge of the things to come, it would have been bittersweet. To know the double use of these devices, for aid and for war. To know that the same invention, used to bring aid to starving children and to drop nuclear bombs on civilian-filled Japanese cities, was being flown for the first time in history. A chilling juxtaposition of fate for something that has changed history forever. To be there would be…indescribable.
My sources were class, common knowledge, and opinion. =]
Pope, I though your essay was good. I agree that Ben Franklin was a very important figure in US history. He was a very smart person, and was one of the most influential people of early American history. He is known for his famous wise sayings that we have heard, and his discoveries and policies. I think he was one of the most important figures in US history. The signing of the Declaration of Independence also sounds like a cool event to be a part of.
ReplyDeleteSam Weir, I really liked your essay. I agree, Henry Ford was very important. I mean can you imagine what life would be like today if he hadn't made the Ford Motor Company and the Maodel-T. Now maybe someone else would have come along and done the same kinda thing but what if they hadn't. Life would be a whole lot different. So yeah, I definitely agree with you about Henry Ford. Good jod Sam:)
ReplyDeleteZach, I thought your post on James Madison was pretty good. I agree with you. James Madison was one of the most important people in American history. He was a great president, and had excellent policies. I think he was extremely important the the founding of our nation, and was a vital member of the Founding Fathers. The discovery of America would have been a really cool event to have been part of. I hadn't really thought of that one.
ReplyDeleteI thought your essay was good, Vanessa. Most people just chose Theodore Roosevelt or someone obvious, but you decided to mention Henry Ford. I don’t know if anyone else chose him, but that is pretty creative. I agree with you that his assembly line method is very important and definitely still affects modern production. Of course, he also developed the Model T. That makes Henry Ford even more impacting, cause that basically got the manufacturing of cars started. Henry Ford launched America into a whole new era.
ReplyDeleteSam, I find your choice of Henry Ford quite interesting. Do you really think he was more important than the people who founded our nation (other than Washington, Lincoln or Jefferson of course, but there are other founding fathers) and all our presidents? Don’t get me wrong though, Henry Ford was quite important. Not only did he design a good car and help our economy with a large company that provided jobs, but he revolutionized production of pretty much everything with his assembly line. With the assembly line, everything could be produced in a factory more efficiently, quickly, and cheaply. And although I’m not sure, I would probably say it created more factory jobs because instead of one person spending a long time building something, there would be many more workers all building a little. So I can definitely see where you’re coming from when you choose him, and I find your choice interesting.
ReplyDeleteDsams, I can see how you would say it is impossible to choose just one person as the most important because there are so many people that have helped shape our nation. However, I disagree with you when you say everyone held the same amount of importance. Do you really think someone like Jefferson Davis is as significant to our nation’s development as the founding fathers?
ReplyDeleteAshley, love the picture you chose (LOL)…You had a really good essay and when I was doing mine I didn’t even think about James Adams. But he is really important to our country’s history. He started Sons of Liberty along with Samuel Adams and that society played a major role in Boston at the beginning of our nation.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also chose the same time frame that you did. I think that it would be very interesting to see the different views, along with the conflicts, that where going on in that time.
Your essay was pretty good, Jon. I like how you picked a pretty obscure person. Alexander Hamilton is definitely a recognizable name we all know, but he often gets overshadowed by other men. I disagree with too strong of a central government now, but I think Hamilton had it right back then for the most part. My reason is because, at that point in early America, there was basically almost no government. What existed was somewhat weak. There was a need for a stronger government if America would rise in power and prosperity. I also think it was cool that he was the first secretary of treasury. Like you said, he also wrote part of the Federalist Papers.
ReplyDeleteAnna, you had a really good essay. And I think Ulysses S. Grant was a great president/general to pick. And I also think that he was very good to the South (even though for a while people thought that he was looking down on the south for being so easy on them). I’m also happy that he kept Lincoln’s policies around, because Abraham Lincoln wasn’t just a good speaker he had a good moral foundation in the way he ran the country.
ReplyDeleteAnd your part B, very cute… I also think that this would be a cool time to go back and visit. But just imagine how hot those hoop skirts would be, I mean they wore tons of layers down south. And it was a very noble job to do what the Civil War nurses did but I don’t think that I’d be brave enough…
A.) Well noone really stands out to me that greatly. But I guess that it is just me, because im not into politics or political history for that matter. See I guess I have to choose and only choose one person, so I am going to go with Theordore rosevelt. I think the reason that I chose him was that he had a certain personality about him that made me think. He was very outgoing and out there. He was a Leader, a great one. Just the leader that our nation needed at that tyme. He helped out with the Panama Canal, and led the Panamaniens to there Independence. During his presidency you could really see that the Lord had his hand around him and everyone in Office.
ReplyDeleteB.) For my response on the second Question, I think it would be really kool to be a womens rights advitist. Or more like a protestor for the womens votes. I believe it would have been a great experience. With the outcome though, I probaly wouldn’t have changed it. With my mind set with the way that things are back then though, I probaly would have tried to get people more pumped and done a lot more of protesting things. But enyways that would have been awsome.(:
Joshua, your essay was quite intreging. I really liked how you tied both of the answers in together. I almost chose the era that you chose for the second question. I think it would have been a great experience you know. To be there and to see our countrys independence day, and to see the articles of the confederation be written. Ahh it would have been amazing.
ReplyDeleteOops, i thought roberto was Josh. lol
ReplyDeleteIts robbie.
And Also Robbie,
ReplyDeleteJames Madison didnt really stick out to me that much and it was nice to see your point of veiw of him. It was interesting.
David Sams, Truthfully I didn’t plan on reading your whole essay, but I couldn’t help myself. It was a great essay and the things you stated about Thomas Edison was written really nicely. Without Thomas Edison we wouldn’t have light bulbs or eny of the amazing inventions God put into His brain. I agree with you David, he is one of the main people our nation was proud to have.
ReplyDeleteThe person that I nominate for "Most Important American not named Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln" is Woodrow Wilson. President Wilson had one of the greatest impacts on America hands down. Wilson was good on both domestic and foreign affairs, but his domestic affairs are mainly what he is known for. First, was the Underwood-Simmons Act. This was the first move to lower the high protective tariffs that our country had. The 16th amendment was also added under his administration. This allowed income tax on the American citizens. But probably his most impressive accomplishment was the organization of the Federal Reserve Act. It set up a banking system for the U.S. government. It also eliminated a metal standard and started the use of reserve notes.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the second question, the one event in U.S. History that I would like to be a part of would have to be the first flight in history with the Wright brothers. I love to fly. To say I was a part of the first flight in history would be a major accomplishment. I also would have liked to help with the design of the first airplane. I don’t know which part would be the most entertaining for me, flying or designing the plane.
Xalo,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay. Teddy Roosevelt was almost my choice for this essay as well. And even though I was going to write about him I had no idea of some of the things you mentioned about him. I didn’t know that he received a medal of honor for his service in Cuba, and I also didn’t know he often hunted in Africa. Teddy Roosevelt was definitely a major impact on America as we know it.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI like the way you viewed this assignment. It is a very tough choice to decide just one person who affected America the MOST. You named some great example, Christopher Columbus, Teddy Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Lewis and Clark, the Wright brothers, Henry Ford. They all made great contributions to America as we know it. Without these people right here we would have no cars, no planes, no underground railroad, no west half of North America, or any North America for that fact.
1)
ReplyDeleteWell this is really a tough choice to make, and after looking over some of the more important people we have gone over am going to Henry Ford. When you think about it, without Henry Ford would we be where we are today with automobiles. Now he was the founder of the Ford Motor Company in 1903. He was the creator of the assembly line method which replaced one person taking forever to make a car, to many people doing specific jobs, which in turn made the process faster. He was also the producer of probably on of the most popular cars ever, the Model T. Now the car was designed to be economical so that the average American family could get one. After nine-teen years of producing the Model T it sold over 15 Million.
2)
I think it would have been amazing to have been at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina the day that the wright brother took flight. It probably would have been an amazing thing to someone from that time period to have seen such a thing. Maybe not to us today we don't pay any attention to planes and aircraft. You can probably go outside and look and find a plane flying overhead right now. But to someone from that time seeing this abject actually taking flight would be breath-taking.
Ok well I’m not really sure how to pick just one person. There were many people who played a very important part in America. However I will pick one person since that is the assignment. So the person that I think was the “Most Important American not named Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln,” would have to be Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin was not only an inventor but he was also a diplomat, scientist, entrepreneur, and catalyst. Some of his most well known inventions were swim fins, the Franklin stove, the lightning rod, and bifocals. These things were very useful to Americans at that time and some such as bifocals still are. Franklin also founded and co-founded America’s first learned society, American Philosophical Society; America’s first circulating library, The Library Company of Philadelphia; America’s first volunteer fire department, Union Fire Company; America’s first liberal arts academy, Pennsylvania Academy and College (now the University of Pennsylvania); America’s first public hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital; and America’s first mutual insurance company, The Philadelphia Contributionship. All of this was just a few of the things that he accomplished in his lifetime. He was most definitely one the most important American’s. Two of his sayings that I found to be very interesting were, “God helps them that help themselves” and “Work as if you were to live 100 years; pray as if you were to die tomorrow.”
ReplyDeleteNow for the second question I would have to agree with Hannah. I think it would have been fun to have lived in the west when it was first being settled. When you road horses everywhere and the people you were around were close to you. It was the simple things that people enjoyed and that mattered the most to them. When someone was in need their neighbors and those close to them always were willing to lend a hand in whatever way they could.
Xalo:
ReplyDeleteI like your thought on the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. For Centuries people have been trying to fly. Look at some of the drawings of Leonardo De Vinci.He had designed a helicopter in one of his drawings but had yet to see his design come into existence. Watching history happen is exciting. To me the Wright Brothers was the starting point for a whole new world. At that point the world became a little bit smaller. Just as it has for the internet and satellite communications.
Maxwell,
ReplyDeleteI like what you shared on Henry Ford. Henry Ford hung with men like Firestone, Thomas Edison. I think if you can feel comfortable in your own skin and yet be challenged to think different than someone else it helps you come up with different ideas. Henry Ford came up with the idea of the Model T. I didn't know about the Kings ford Charcoal. I like the thought of being practical.
The Firestone family and the Ford family were friends and eventually their children married, so I guess it's important who you hang with, you might eventually be in business or become family.
Jessica,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your essay. No only was it thorough but you also brought out some points that I didn't know. For instance, I had no idea that Benjamin Franklin invented swim fins (even though you stated that everyone knew haha). Also, I didn't know he coined the phrase "God helps those who help themselves."
Very very good and informative essay!
Morgan,
ReplyDeleteyour essay also stood out to me. Mainly because everyone did Theodore Roosevelt, but your essay went above and beyond the others. Not only was it detailed, but it did the best job of emphasizing how much of an iconic icon TR was for America at the time. He was more than a president, he was a living legend. Great essay, kudos for sure,
Justin, I liked reading what you had to say about what part you would have chosen to be a part of. I have to say it would have been interesting to have lived in that time and I don’t think it is one in which I would have liked to live in. It would have been difficult to have had to shoot your friends and family like you said. But I don’t only think it would have been hard to fight in the war but it would have also been hard on the families. The wives would have had to maintain the families and I can’t imagine how worried they would have been for their husbands and what was going on and wondering if they would come back home. I just think I would have been so stressful to think that maybe your husband was never coming back home and for many women they didn’t come back home but gave their lives for the country. And like you, Justin, I commend all the people who were not only a part of that war but are fighting for our country.
ReplyDeleteEmily I really enjoyed reading your essay, it was all very interesting. I like what you said about time we live in today. I thought it was good that you mentioned that our generation is changing and that today we have such limitless opportunity and self-determination. Sure it would have been great to have been able to experience other time eras. Another thing I liked about your essay was you mentioning that even some people were not right out in the front of things there were people behind the scenes who do not get as much credit as maybe they should have.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMichael Harrell..
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I still love the idea of being able to attend the Constitutional Convention, your idea of riding with those to capture Pancho Villa would be super cool. First off, because they would, Im assuming, be on horseback, and you always have fun while riding horses. Furthermore, riding on horses after a crazy lunatic man, would be unreal. But, good job on your essay. It was def. interesting. :)
ZiaBeth I agree that Woodrow Wilson was a very important president. Though, saying he didn't have any scandals is false. He did have one scandal, which seems minor to us. His wife died in August two years after the landmark election of 1912. By May of 1915 he was already engaged. To us this is nothing, but to the people of that time this was a big scandal. People even said he killed his first wife to marry the second.
ReplyDeleteAshley,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your essay. I love anything that has to do with the Founding Fathers and those individuals who were there for the formation of this country. And I found your choice on the "event in history you'd most like to be a part of" to be interesting. I, personally, would have never thought about wanting to be a part of that. However, I do find your little profile picture to be somewhat ugly and obnoxious. You had probably better change it, so you don't cause an uproar. (Seeing as how UK is 1000000x better than UT) I have a suggestion if you'd like to try it, here is the link:
http://grfx.cstv.com/schools/kty/graphics/wallpapers/2006_07/logo1_1024.jpg
I liked what JAnderson said. FDR got the nation out of the worst depression in American history. Not only that, he did it between two major wars that spread across the entire globe. His method of dealing with a broken economy has proven its effectiveness. I feel his policy would work even better today. Today our government has focused more on regulation that we do not really need and ignore the regulation we do need. For example, Indicesent light bulbs are now illegal to make. The problem is that Indicesent light bulbs give off way more light than florescent bulbs. Also it will destroy an industry.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI liked what Jarred said. A lot of people were involved in behind the scenes action that goes unaccredited. Usually there is a figure head who gets all the credit and everybody else is forgotten in history. There were most likely more people involved in the righting of the constitution that history has long forgotten.
ReplyDeleteRoberto, yes, I do believe that no one person is more influential than any other person. In chaos theory they say that just the flap of a single butterflies wings could create a tornado, or better yet stop one from forming. This example is used because scientists are saying one small change (the flap of a butterflies wings) can change a larger outcome (stopping, starting, accelerating, slowing down a tornado). Now this isn't saying that the butterfly actually provided the energy needed to form that tornado just that it affects the area around it causing a ripple effect on everything else including the energy and weather patterns that could form the tornado.
ReplyDeletepoehner, Henry ford never eaven popped to my head, but he was very important in makeing automobile transportation what it is today.Thank you for saaying that it rly makes me wonder what it would be like today if someone else did it or if never happened at all in that time period very good essay.
ReplyDeletejakob , I almost did wilson myself becasue he did do alot for this country and the economy. I might have gone in a little bit of a different direction by i like what your wrote and i wonder what it would be like if he did not pass the underwwod-simmons act.
ReplyDeleteXalo:
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your essay. It was really informative to me. I had no idea that Teddy Roosevelt had that many things that he had accomplished in his life. It’s obvious that you really did your research for this assignment. He really was a proactive, “go-get-em’” kind of person. I think that I our country would be a lot better off today if we had more people like that in our offices of leadership. People just sitting around blaming things on other people will not fix anything. It takes people that are willing to do whatever it takes to fix a problem to actually get things done.
Hannah:
I can really relate to both parts of your essay. It’s pretty impossible to pick just one important person in all the time we have studied. There are so many. As for the second part, I love the modern technologies we enjoy today, but I really would’ve loved to have been there when the west was being settled. The idea of starting over somewhere new sounds pretty nice.